tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44040966551063351042024-03-05T13:56:14.531-08:00Our Lyme LifeOur Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-49046954224062848882014-10-13T22:21:00.000-07:002017-09-17T22:42:58.682-07:00Everything is gone-Mold Saga Part 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zDPUoopfAJOF-HhcRWEyoBL7mS5JaYVpoiCby88b1eH7sZLZep_qiBq4Cc4MvJvWpqBF5lobxPh3Loi32Wp28JP1hBoNBpDL7hJEi29AdXICGfgd4Xyd0Gk4egb04dn2T-5gW43rS9jR/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zDPUoopfAJOF-HhcRWEyoBL7mS5JaYVpoiCby88b1eH7sZLZep_qiBq4Cc4MvJvWpqBF5lobxPh3Loi32Wp28JP1hBoNBpDL7hJEi29AdXICGfgd4Xyd0Gk4egb04dn2T-5gW43rS9jR/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good bye, nice little house. Sniff, sniff :-(</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">(Read Part 1 <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/04/weve-been-poisoned-out-of-our-house.html" target="_blank">here</a> and Part 2 <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/07/we-trashed-almost-all-of-our-lifes.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</span></b><br />
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We had a really difficult weekend. We went to our house on Saturday to clean out the rest of the garage of all the things that didn't fit in the huge dumpster. When we got to the house, there were probably 10 people from our church standing there, ready and willing to jump into our trash pile. What a blessing!<br />
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We brought one Bagster along, and now we laugh at that. We use *3* Bagsters. We completely underestimated the amount of stuff we had left! Oops...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's another one in the back that is hard to see.</td></tr>
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Our volunteers got the whole garage cleaned out in just under an hour, which was great, but the hard work was just beginning for us. They had set aside things we wanted to try to keep and things they didn't know what to do with. So, donning our embarrassing masks, we set to work sorting out what was left.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is ridiculous, right?!?</td></tr>
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It was absolutely heart breaking. We were forced to choose between our health and our only copies of pictures from a photo shoot we had when Sarah was a tiny baby. Our health and hand made towels with each child's name that my mom made for them when they were born. Our health and the only material thing we have left from my dear uncle who passed away much too young.<br />
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We sat there for hours picking through what was left of our life. It was physically and emotionally exhausting.<br />
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We've heard it said that you should treat your home as if it's on fire when you have the type of mold infestation we had. Run away and never come back is what they say. That sounds good to a point, but it's not really a great comparison. We feel blessed to have been able to go through our stuff before having to throw it away, but there was almost nothing we could keep.<br />
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We have friends in our neighborhood who lost their home to a fire a few years ago. While it was an agonizing time for them, they got their housing paid for during all of the time they had to be out of the home, insurance paid for them to replace all their belongings, and they got a brand new house built in the place of the old one. They now live in the same great neighborhood in a brand new house with all new belongings.<br />
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I don't want to minimize their hardship at all. I walked along side them, from watching the big machines come in to tear down what was left of their house, to welcoming them back to the neighborhood 9 months later. It's just that they lost their home and all their belongings and got it all replaced, much of it even better than the original. We lost our home and all our belongings and we sit here thankful for Tim's parents opening up their home (and furniture) to us. Otherwise we'd be homeless. That is a very sobering thought. Of everything in our home, we were able to keep maybe 20% of our clothes (none of us were able to keep our winter coats or boots, and MN gets cold...) and possibly a few pans and CDs and a few other odds and ends. We're not sure if we're even going to be able to keep those things. Everything else is gone.<br />
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I am completely overwhelmed thinking through all of the stuff, even basic necessities, that we no longer have. Big things like beds, a couch, a dining table. Small things like dishes, towels, pillows, lamps, shoes, measuring cups. We have most of what we need here at Tim's parents house but, considering they rent and we are not on the lease, we can't stay here forever. We have a new housing situation on the horizon that I'm excited to share with you all in another post, but we can't make that move until we are able to furnish it. We should be getting our Social Security payments eventually, but we don't know how much or when yet (more info on that <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/09/ssdi-hearings-finally.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/10/ssdi-decision-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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Another issue that we have to deal with, much to the horror of my frugal heart, is that we are unable to buy used items at this time. I have bought exactly one piece of new furniture ever, and it was an awesome huge bookshelf/catch-all from Ikea. Other than that, we've always furnished our house through Craigslist and garage sales, just the way I like it. But with our current severe reactions to any type of mold exposure, we are not able to risk bringing any type of mold into our new home.<br />
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We never could have guessed our reactions to our stuff on Saturday. It was worse than we expected. We had a hard time breathing, headaches, extreme body pain, and dizziness. I forgot to put gloves on, and my hands are now raw and rashy and blistery from touching the contaminated stuff. This is all a nightmare.<br />
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When our church volunteers were over on Saturday, I was trying to be tough and make the hard decisions about what to throw away. At different points I needed to look away or pretend I didn't see what had just gone in the trash. As I was lying in bed on Saturday night, I started to comprehend what it meant that everything we had ever known was on it's way to the dump. It hit me hard, and I decided I needed to go back and pick through the trash bags on our driveway. I went back there on Sunday afternoon looking for 2 main things-a small piggy bank my mom painted for me when I was little, and some of the school projects and pictures my kids have done over the years. I looked and looked and couldn't find any of it.<br />
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It hit me like a ton of bricks on my way back home, empty-handed. Our, and more importantly our kids', entire life history was in those Bagsters. I was sobbing as I was thinking that I have nothing from when my kids were small apart from digital pictures, which I am so thankful to have. It could be so much worse.<br />
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These past couple days have been very hard for both Tim and me. We are now reacting much more severely than we did before because of our most recent mold exposure, so we are wondering if we will be able to keep anything at all that was ever inside our house.<br />
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I feel like this has been one big whine-fest. I don't intend to come across that way. It is truly my hope that anyone still reading this will understand what a big deal mold is and do anything in their power to not let this happen to them. Here is <a href="http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2014/08/18/day-lost-everything-part-1/" target="_blank">another similar story</a> from Kate at Modern Alternative Mama. They didn't have the previous health problems we have, but they still lost almost everything because of something that could have been dealt with early on. If you have water in your home, please deal with it before it steals your health and all of your belongings.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-75552002269350368152014-10-03T12:02:00.001-07:002014-10-13T19:38:13.384-07:00SSDI Decision #2!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yep. Huge news! I got a fully favorable decision in addition to Tim's decision (more info on that <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/09/ssdi-hearings-finally.html" target="_blank">here</a>). We are so relieved! Thank you for all of your prayers.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-33712634794068592962014-09-23T19:06:00.000-07:002017-09-17T22:37:43.417-07:00PICC #2 Out!Big day yesterday! I got my 2nd PICC out. For the first time in nearly 2 years, we are a PICC-free home. We were talking about this yesterday morning before my nurse came over to remove my PICC, and my daughter Sarah said in a sad voice, "It's kind of fun when the nurses come over. They're so nice." She's right. All of our nurses have been great. My best guess is that we've had around 150 nurse visits in the last 23 months. All our nurses were all very nice, but it will feel so freeing not having to schedule our days around nurse visits anywhere from 1-4 times per week. :-)<br />
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Tim took pictures of the whole removal process. If you're into that kind of thing, I'll share the posts here. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip this part :-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting started taking the bandage off</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peeling the bandage back</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting there</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just about off</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No bandage!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling the line out</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKjaxkMTsuCBa4AdbbxknZT3HdOTNPXPYR2uICU9B8Taoe9I0aKsWoqjYWfI9PNwEnKRX10GYWgMXQAxw45HspjdNCforpuznsGqEzw1qwyXIGDI-LfEcg2niYHbLlL71ZBKx5QVOxiS2/s1600/20140922_103136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKjaxkMTsuCBa4AdbbxknZT3HdOTNPXPYR2uICU9B8Taoe9I0aKsWoqjYWfI9PNwEnKRX10GYWgMXQAxw45HspjdNCforpuznsGqEzw1qwyXIGDI-LfEcg2niYHbLlL71ZBKx5QVOxiS2/s1600/20140922_103136.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRM1_EecmEvOmw-Ry1IekZFcu7Ge-vxjuvbLyOuJs1a7e3mVWpBnP4NAUiL1ysEAdNf59o-5YIvHs41ZZaLC9tnHNifXF4z6dpq6oBH8aVGMKuK0EHTKX_yqqvxDoBUbB1U2XfYpzXS8_s/s1600/20140922_103200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRM1_EecmEvOmw-Ry1IekZFcu7Ge-vxjuvbLyOuJs1a7e3mVWpBnP4NAUiL1ysEAdNf59o-5YIvHs41ZZaLC9tnHNifXF4z6dpq6oBH8aVGMKuK0EHTKX_yqqvxDoBUbB1U2XfYpzXS8_s/s1600/20140922_103200.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break on the pulling because it made me dizzy and light-headed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovTB0pw0XHw_PFtEkvfHaIU8ypcsQPWpi6tfKHIslEP0Mm6ltz43fduxp2oCEdS8q4mdEpCPJ4aUOY8UqY03rMruTu0NB3Wg9EptfL4xSpoaYMPqB0HDs0LkX3xJPxZhnhL6ZaMGoaYUj/s1600/20140922_103226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovTB0pw0XHw_PFtEkvfHaIU8ypcsQPWpi6tfKHIslEP0Mm6ltz43fduxp2oCEdS8q4mdEpCPJ4aUOY8UqY03rMruTu0NB3Wg9EptfL4xSpoaYMPqB0HDs0LkX3xJPxZhnhL6ZaMGoaYUj/s1600/20140922_103226.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is is! Out!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpM5Vt_LHiHK_FeKi8CgYs4XdJKl3jnEzJxlfqOnN7NJvm0PFDpr-N-sHPBJnJ9pxEFxmeGx04aBGw7bB2UN5TdrX_uaQS3tJqrfse4_YLI685VC00JXyJsOc-bfnPouZZ0PRcm5SQ7APf/s1600/20140922_103304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpM5Vt_LHiHK_FeKi8CgYs4XdJKl3jnEzJxlfqOnN7NJvm0PFDpr-N-sHPBJnJ9pxEFxmeGx04aBGw7bB2UN5TdrX_uaQS3tJqrfse4_YLI685VC00JXyJsOc-bfnPouZZ0PRcm5SQ7APf/s1600/20140922_103304.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My arm with no tube!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHovRzhtWS0Jf9qAZ1A6vT9f0HWkQi2onpISogyANFeZzH0Na_iYWCSYQbMdIr5q872OsI3WVSrAiG9fWzvwsHteHaXzU6nJbELoScksfMtqALriDNRmbK1KyVHKjfWsCutxTdetatimQ0/s1600/20140922_103355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHovRzhtWS0Jf9qAZ1A6vT9f0HWkQi2onpISogyANFeZzH0Na_iYWCSYQbMdIr5q872OsI3WVSrAiG9fWzvwsHteHaXzU6nJbELoScksfMtqALriDNRmbK1KyVHKjfWsCutxTdetatimQ0/s1600/20140922_103355.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All bandaged up until tomorrow.<br />
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And there you have it. No more tube in my arm. I had an appointment with my doctor yesterday to discuss what comes next. The plan for now is to continue on most of the supplements I was already taking, focus a lot on detox, and re-start the Cowden herbal protocol. I'm looking forward to being off the antibiotics again for now!Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-21507991371262414012014-09-19T20:55:00.002-07:002014-09-19T20:55:48.721-07:00SSDI Hearings, FINALLY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15R-RZjCJrLMylrpaq3UiFA_CLTMV0C4p3GHYcaQFbELLvzv3sujN73d9QSZSUlSHm7zzeC-XUi2N3q3E5Scm1HYtLde3GMXQ-htFd2qDgQCiOoryoZfyCaV3xXPG5RNI-CAznt8l8dvw/s1600/IMAG0968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15R-RZjCJrLMylrpaq3UiFA_CLTMV0C4p3GHYcaQFbELLvzv3sujN73d9QSZSUlSHm7zzeC-XUi2N3q3E5Scm1HYtLde3GMXQ-htFd2qDgQCiOoryoZfyCaV3xXPG5RNI-CAznt8l8dvw/s1600/IMAG0968.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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After a very long year and a half of filling out paperwork, waiting, fighting, and waiting some more, we finally had our disability hearings this week. Out of all the days in a year, they scheduled our hearings a day apart. Because of that, we decided to spend the night at a hotel downtown. My hearing was late morning yesterday (Thursday), and Tim's was bright and early this morning. We had to catch the cab from our hotel at 6:45. Oh. My. Goodness. I can't even tell you the last time I was up that early. I got up at 6 every morning for years and years, but my poor body is screaming at me tonight for dragging it our of bed at 5:45 am.<br />
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Anyway...So my hearing was yesterday. The lawyer's office called earlier in the week and asked me to bring any medications that my doctors had prescribed for me, whether prescription or supplement. I literally had to bring a rolling suitcase that took a lot of effort to shut. In case you'd like a good laugh, here's what that looked like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCfvR5bh0nEsX_yB-PYY_2rF5UBtR_IrAHBWVqKt0NHIjkFRIF1rJNWigd3va4H0j20yCx-jo0YnRDmXAks0WzObB42l3rOyBZTzYQUFP3F7yO7vX2XRRZGyvuAFFMcSsdf6sLpxlENFU/s1600/IMAG0966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCfvR5bh0nEsX_yB-PYY_2rF5UBtR_IrAHBWVqKt0NHIjkFRIF1rJNWigd3va4H0j20yCx-jo0YnRDmXAks0WzObB42l3rOyBZTzYQUFP3F7yO7vX2XRRZGyvuAFFMcSsdf6sLpxlENFU/s1600/IMAG0966.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pathetic, right? Seriously.<br />
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We got the the lawyer's office at 10 am and met with the lawyer at that time. We had an hour and a half before the hearing time, and we were supposed to use that time to discuss my case. Didn't happen. The lawyer spent almost the entire time picking through my supplements telling me which ones were good or bad, whether I should be taking more or less, and showing us You-Tube video on why people shouldn't eat meat. I'm not kidding. Tim was there and can verify all of this. So out of that hour and a half, we spent about 10 minutes actually discussing my case. <br />
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We then went down to the court room (the lawyer's office and the courtroom are in the same building) and went through security, signed in, and then twiddled our thumbs until the judge was ready for us. We found out at the last second that Tim would not be allowed into the courtroom with me. I was surprised and bummed by that, but I dutifully followed my lawyer into the courtroom.<br />
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The hearing itself went reasonably well, but there are some things that I don't feel got enough consideration. In any case, it's over, and now I wait for my ruling. The lawyer told me it typically takes about 1-3 months to get a ruling.<br />
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And then Tim's hearing was today. We had to be to the lawyer's office by 7, so we decided to take a cab from our hotel. Parking yesterday was an absolute nightmare and we were both completely worn out and lethargic by the time we actually made it in to the law office. We took a cab and got dropped off right at the front door of the law building. Best decision we've made in a long time!<br />
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So we got (back) to the lawyer's office at 7:00, rolling suitcase in tow, and they were ready for us quickly. We are both still shocked at the difference in the 2 lawyers. Beyond night and day difference. Tim's lawyer was really great. He did a great job asking probing questions and walking Tim through what the judge might ask and what to expect. No fluff.<br />
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We walked down to the court area about 8:30, but the court recorder was running late. Tim was ushered into the court room at about 9:00. I sat in the waiting area and worked on the scarf I'm knitting for a sweet friend to try to take my mind off what was going on in the next room. :-) At about 9:30, I heard Tim call my name and I looked up. I walked over and he said "Disabled." Wait, what??? Apparently, the judges very occasionally make a "bench decision." This is when they feel that there is such overwhelming evidence in favor of disability that they do not require the additional time to review the case after the hearing. That almost never happens. What an unexpected blessing. Things have been so tough for us recently, and we are so thankful for this glimmer of hope.<br />
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Of course, we are still hoping for a favorable decision in my case, but we won't know for a while yet.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-51869490718878641162014-07-13T20:23:00.000-07:002014-10-14T10:31:00.895-07:00We trashed almost all of our life's belongings-Mold Saga Part 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zDPUoopfAJOF-HhcRWEyoBL7mS5JaYVpoiCby88b1eH7sZLZep_qiBq4Cc4MvJvWpqBF5lobxPh3Loi32Wp28JP1hBoNBpDL7hJEi29AdXICGfgd4Xyd0Gk4egb04dn2T-5gW43rS9jR/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zDPUoopfAJOF-HhcRWEyoBL7mS5JaYVpoiCby88b1eH7sZLZep_qiBq4Cc4MvJvWpqBF5lobxPh3Loi32Wp28JP1hBoNBpDL7hJEi29AdXICGfgd4Xyd0Gk4egb04dn2T-5gW43rS9jR/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good bye, nice little house. Sniff, sniff :-(</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>(Read Part 1 <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/04/weve-been-poisoned-out-of-our-house.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</b></span><br />
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Yesterday was a hard day. Our house has been sitting empty for a few months now as we <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/04/weve-been-poisoned-out-of-our-house.html" target="_blank">live with Tim's parents</a>, but all our stuff was still there. Since it is now poison to us, it all had to be thrown away. We tried to keep some things, but time will tell if we are actually able to do that.<br />
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There is still a bunch of stuff in the garage because the 30 yard (huge!) dumpster was full. I guess that happens when you put all the beds, couches, tables, bookshelves, toys, books, and everything else from a family of 5 into a box. It was awful watching all of our stuff going into that dumpster. Of course, stuff can be replaced, but some of it is very expensive (particularly considering we are on month 14 of having no income...), and some of it is irreplaceable. Our kids were so sad to see all of their books, toys and school projects thrown in the trash :-(<br />
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We still have work to do on the house and garage to get things cleaned up as much as we can before we are out of there completely, but we just walked away from at least 80% of our earthly belongings. I'm so glad my <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:19-21" target="_blank">real treasures are in Heaven</a>. This has been agonizing. Especially since we have no idea if or when we will ever have income again.<br />
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We are so thankful for my little brother and his friend who gave up a whole Saturday to come haul junk out of our house. They were going strong for a couple hours but then they needed to ask us for respirator masks (that we wear anytime we're in the house) because the house was making them sick too. It was very telling to us that our house made 2 young, strong, healthy guys sick after a short amount of time. It was more evidence for us that we made the right decision getting our family our of that toxic place.<br />
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In case you want to know what a whole house of garbage looks like, here you go:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOgci2o3SNRZSIFk1rMLVjE5gOlXN8MmyUApGSuYJYtKsGjSvufmH-55J8oOsFn4si4A9crh7GOGPQNRdzq3A7DyMbEAlgU3LUwgE29GCmifXEPD8QwloHjA63kQBz2J6WQHSy3NqykNW/s1600/IMAG0755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOgci2o3SNRZSIFk1rMLVjE5gOlXN8MmyUApGSuYJYtKsGjSvufmH-55J8oOsFn4si4A9crh7GOGPQNRdzq3A7DyMbEAlgU3LUwgE29GCmifXEPD8QwloHjA63kQBz2J6WQHSy3NqykNW/s1600/IMAG0755.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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They aren't the best pictures, but I wasn't able to get any others.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-56072384956603443122014-05-07T14:07:00.000-07:002017-09-17T22:20:25.245-07:005 long years...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FQN4Apv3w6TqZ2PNv1AgAwlVQvEZ_pr-bVkLNZSp-2GQcCgqbIuOPE-Yd1exEfae6gNdaCU1hdL_BenDgq4HZrchZwGqypTSJAsfqnghwPmcGPpidtjoLcV7bU8tkmZYbA8uza69hvlW/s1600/5+long+years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FQN4Apv3w6TqZ2PNv1AgAwlVQvEZ_pr-bVkLNZSp-2GQcCgqbIuOPE-Yd1exEfae6gNdaCU1hdL_BenDgq4HZrchZwGqypTSJAsfqnghwPmcGPpidtjoLcV7bU8tkmZYbA8uza69hvlW/s1600/5+long+years.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today marks 5 years since Tim started his Lyme treatment. Had you talked to us then, we would have never in a million years guessed that this is where we'd be today.<br />
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To back up a little but, I'll start at the beginning and share some of what led up to the momentous day of beginning Lyme Disease treatment...<br />
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Tim had always been a very healthy and fit guy. He always had physically demanding jobs and physically demanding hobbies and enjoyed it all immensely. When he started getting sick enough to skip work often (after having never done that in his life) and coming home from his nightly runs and weekly basketball games with knee pain, we knew something was wrong. He spent 5 months in early 2009 in bed as we went from doctor to doctor to doctor.<br />
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Our best estimate is that he saw about 30 doctors in that 5 months. Based on the experiences of acquaintances, hours upon hours of online research, and a very kind-hearted doctor-turned-Lyme-advocate that we credit for saving Tim's life, we figured out at last that it was Lyme, no thanks to any of the dozens of doctors we sought for help.<br />
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Once we knew what we were fighting, we assumed it would be easy to take care of it and get back to life as normal. If that were true, I wouldn't be writing this post today. At the time, there were only 3 Lyme doctors in our state, and only 1 of them was accepting new patients. It was going to be 3 months until we could get Tim in to see him, and we truly didn't think Tim would live long enough to make it to the appointment based on how quickly he had been deteriorating. This was April of 2009. <br />
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After lots of research, we learned that there was a doctor in New Jersey who specializes in Lyme and had an opening in 2 weeks. We packed up the kids in the mini-van and drove 24 hours each way for a 2 hour doctor's appointment. That was such a momentous day. After not knowing whether Tim would make it out alive from this devastating mystery illness, we finally had hope. That appointment was on May 4, 2009.<br />
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We drove home and picked up Tim's prescription at the pharmacy on the way home after a 12+ hour day of driving. He took a picture of the prescription because of what it represented to him. Hope.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08556ba2mjCn-IAyQ906oFLIote0_gBKHJ045KRjcR3yDAM1QPCixNKYHIlhGEulPz2pR8SOOIfUmtn8-N26yFvIp2fjtK4eKnwUu9stWAFYBMceE7xGdvXDBM4JqV9PhGxIEfrgPvGBy/s1600/Rx+modified.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08556ba2mjCn-IAyQ906oFLIote0_gBKHJ045KRjcR3yDAM1QPCixNKYHIlhGEulPz2pR8SOOIfUmtn8-N26yFvIp2fjtK4eKnwUu9stWAFYBMceE7xGdvXDBM4JqV9PhGxIEfrgPvGBy/s1600/Rx+modified.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Also, as a bit of an aside, I'd like to share a couple other pictures with you. These were taken on January 1, 2009, and they represent the last of our former life. We took our kids sledding that day and were able to have fun and climb up the hill over and over with them, and we had no idea that within a few short weeks Tim would be in bed fighting for his life. At this time, Sarah was 3.5, Andrew had just turned 1, and we didn't have Jonathan yet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr7LoRsBq7I21D4yrX8xmb5BNeQux2I60tTYEj8YJLy71fE0DGy2t5zFfoRDIDUPzyCtXi2mC7dPs7GL8cXTYoAEjRgIYp9_sDY1j4BOHXZAXQiOyqHqAYTjgKY4PiNiPOV5iDStQnZYD/s1600/PC310051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr7LoRsBq7I21D4yrX8xmb5BNeQux2I60tTYEj8YJLy71fE0DGy2t5zFfoRDIDUPzyCtXi2mC7dPs7GL8cXTYoAEjRgIYp9_sDY1j4BOHXZAXQiOyqHqAYTjgKY4PiNiPOV5iDStQnZYD/s1600/PC310051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-84104094876966381302014-04-26T11:16:00.000-07:002014-10-13T20:42:34.855-07:00We've been poisoned out of our house-Mold Saga Part 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zDPUoopfAJOF-HhcRWEyoBL7mS5JaYVpoiCby88b1eH7sZLZep_qiBq4Cc4MvJvWpqBF5lobxPh3Loi32Wp28JP1hBoNBpDL7hJEi29AdXICGfgd4Xyd0Gk4egb04dn2T-5gW43rS9jR/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zDPUoopfAJOF-HhcRWEyoBL7mS5JaYVpoiCby88b1eH7sZLZep_qiBq4Cc4MvJvWpqBF5lobxPh3Loi32Wp28JP1hBoNBpDL7hJEi29AdXICGfgd4Xyd0Gk4egb04dn2T-5gW43rS9jR/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good bye, nice little house. Sniff, sniff :-(</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last winter we tested our house for mold and the results came back very high. Since we were already having work done on our house (and <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/02/hotel-living.html" target="_blank">living in a hotel</a>), we decided to have the mold remediated while the walls were all torn apart.<br />
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Tim and I have been having a very difficult time health-wise these past few months, and we've been working with our doctor to try to dig up any possible reasons why the Lyme treatment we've been on for years doesn't seem to be making us better any more. We both saw improvement for the first couple years and then started backsliding over time.<br />
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After racking our brains, we remembered that we had not discussed our previous mold situation with our current doctor. When we did, she asked to see the report. We faxed it to her that same day. She personally called me and yelled into the phone "I know why you and your husband are still sick!" Well then. She's very kind and caring. She was just very concerned for us.<br />
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She was shocked at our results. Here are some of them:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYR4E2WFZ56VPnWkzm7y31Ji-CrMcB0eRVxAeI8FpTZgjbQKkrdwf0KAPg3GP6HBKNEF-FH_lQVp2IIHFBE32bnczTZFqP0fOfeZCEnVP7OR_sxJHZgEoqdQrnShf8JwGku1O8PXWZ42T/s1600/Mold+report+2+water+mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYR4E2WFZ56VPnWkzm7y31Ji-CrMcB0eRVxAeI8FpTZgjbQKkrdwf0KAPg3GP6HBKNEF-FH_lQVp2IIHFBE32bnczTZFqP0fOfeZCEnVP7OR_sxJHZgEoqdQrnShf8JwGku1O8PXWZ42T/s1600/Mold+report+2+water+mark.jpg" height="301" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_PrPZV6hWlSdCSDCWVDwXk4omPLJjbnmM13Uao6fL6nKdB2D5s-LFCC4jqzX851wEe_Rl_E0IBx7fWdv45_SSgbDHoZB8V1d7QUi7pMf6-KtiH6Z02_wFx3yhVr3IoRG2OC7EldCju2o/s1600/Mold+report+1+watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_PrPZV6hWlSdCSDCWVDwXk4omPLJjbnmM13Uao6fL6nKdB2D5s-LFCC4jqzX851wEe_Rl_E0IBx7fWdv45_SSgbDHoZB8V1d7QUi7pMf6-KtiH6Z02_wFx3yhVr3IoRG2OC7EldCju2o/s1600/Mold+report+1+watermark.jpg" height="152" width="400" /></a></div>
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No matter how much someone knows about mold, I don't think anyone wants to see "major" so many places on their mold report. Particularly Stachybotrys (black mold) in 3 areas on both floors of the house. We were so nieve. It's maddening to think that we have been living in that house for an additional 15 months after we received this report. We didn't know any better. And it didn't help that the guy who did our inspection said levels were "not bad right now."<br />
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So, last year when we were out of the house, we had our house remediated of the mold. Or at least we thought we did... What we now know is that all the mold was already inside the walls and then when the walls were torn down, the mold was released into the air like a wild animal rushing out of an opened cage door. Not only was our house not fixed, it was made worse.<br />
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We talked this through with our doctor, and we agreed that we needed to get out of our house. It was a very hard decision to make, but it was somewhat easier than it otherwise would have been since our house is already on track for <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-officialwere-losing-our-home.html" target="_blank">foreclosure</a>. So, as of this week when we returned from our <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/04/another-visit-to-our-lyme-doc-and-trip.html" target="_blank">doctor's appointments</a>, we no longer live in our home. We will never live there again. We're really sad about that. We are currently staying in Tim's parents' basement, and we don't know what comes next.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-62330444529963524082014-04-23T11:20:00.000-07:002017-09-17T22:22:45.837-07:00Another visit to our Lyme doc, and a trip to my new allergist!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had another trip to my amazing Lyme doc on Monday, and then an appointment with my new allergist yesterday.<br />
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My appointment was a bit of a bummer. My doctor and I made the decision that I will get another <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripherally_inserted_central_catheter" target="_blank">PICC</a> since I've lost so much ground since I got my <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/08/lots-going-on.html" target="_blank">other one taken out</a>. I plan to discuss this with my primary doctor, who is local, in hopes that I can get it inserted at our local small-town hospital. We love our little hospital and have always been cared for well there, and we are not familiar with the large infusion company our Lyme doctor typically works with. I am hoping to get the ball rolling on this soon so I can continue moving forward with my treatment.<br />
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AND THEN I went to my new allergist yesterday! Both he and our Lyme doctor are far from our house but relatively close to each other, so I'm hoping it will continue to work out to visit them together in the future. You may remember from the <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-doctor-for-me-too.html" target="_blank">first time I mentioned this</a> that his first opening was in June, so it was great to get a cancellation appointment in April! This allergist is no stranger to people with ridiculous illness-inducing (and even life-threatening) allergies. He's been doing this for nearly 40 years and has studied under some of the greats in the field, and he is passionate about his job. That's a great quality in a doctor! :-) <br />
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The allergy office is big and new and beautiful (as far as doctors' offices go...). There are several dozen employees, and it runs like a well-oiled machine. It's a busy place. We started out by meeting with a nurse to get all my stats and vitals. We then went to a different waiting room than the first to wait to get into the doctor's room. We were called back and met with his nurse for a moment. <br />
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After that, the doctor came in and introduced himself. He is an older man with a kind smile and a great confidence. We went over all of my past medical experience. He started with birth (yes, really!) and went through my childhood illness and surgeries, the births of each of my children, and all the way up through all the details this current Lyme saga. He is brilliant and so talented at what he does. He knew just how to test me for different allergies I might have. He sent me out to the testing area, and here is what my arm looked like when they were done with me:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oXg03j3QEQP5lAEs9G4YmUp-0wegiKHI2qbkrThhjDQgrWKem7HniwskFhsG6x1mcVp-TzQQJIamEBrXXt8aXdQ2NbtVkYJU7roTyPzuZDRLToITUXF4RPB8_aB-g6Y3IxVHlSMSaKBe/s1600/IMAG0328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oXg03j3QEQP5lAEs9G4YmUp-0wegiKHI2qbkrThhjDQgrWKem7HniwskFhsG6x1mcVp-TzQQJIamEBrXXt8aXdQ2NbtVkYJU7roTyPzuZDRLToITUXF4RPB8_aB-g6Y3IxVHlSMSaKBe/s1600/IMAG0328.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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They have fancy ways to inject, measure, and keep track of what is what. I didn't understand it all. So glad they do. :-) The one at the top that is so huge was dust mites. Some of the others include different types of trees, grasses, and molds. I am allergic to so many environmental things in addition to all of the foods. It's hard to even know where to go from here. We have a toxic mold problem in our house (which I will explain in a later post) and now I know that I am also severely allergic to several types of mold as well. That means I have a double-whammy as far as living in a moldy house. I will continue to monitor these spots for the next few days and report any changes to the doctor.<br />
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According to my allergist, the allergies that I have are a result of the "total load" my body is carrying. The toxins from the Lyme, mold, and all of my different treatments over the years have become too much for my body to handle. It now attacks things it shouldn't be attacking, and now doesn't know how to handle every day things like eggs and trees. I wish I could just tell my body that it doesn't need to freak out when I'm exposed to eggs and trees, but it doesn't seem to work that way...<br />
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I received sublingual allergy drops (more info on those from the ACAAI <a href="http://www.acaai.org/allergist/allergies/treatment/pages/sublingual-immunotherapy-slit.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>) from the allergist's office and will start those in the next day or 2. The idea is that there are trace amounts of the things I am allergic to in the drops. By taking these drops each day, my body should eventually be able to handle these things again. They have to start at low doses and go up over time. The drops I currently have contain only dust mites. The doctor said he gave me just a small percentage of the amount he would give others because of my immediate and extreme reaction. I am so thankful he knows what he is doing. :-)<br />
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I will add in additional drops in the future. Treatment with this type of allergy drops typically takes people about 5-10 years to complete, so I've got a long road ahead of me!<br />
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One last note in case you're interested...here is what a PICC looks like:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3eD_Iry9rLW-x5T5umghbQ5zgxG7wjTdQrNKxOy-JfCHxfdTepc_xHvwGd1Okz8IkIXwK3_y7rcZz0fCIbyRFrNa0oHdPXPo43mZrpqJ5eGbYTr_J1d4m8sLaXjVoDx0z_GN7-zgL_TE/s1600/800px-Blausen_0193_Catheter_PICC.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture found <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripherally_inserted_central_catheter" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsseHeu6k3BELq9lbCTK4y3Gh7AAHePQJWxP9Fb6T1ZK8cTDgvD8UFMHIKYIbcGIW-uEwdQNd79kWUtT06BkepHBhLHyreSJpVSj3Wpa-WENoqnxitZnv7YiWAdMYOXPj5PDNFwk84V97m/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsseHeu6k3BELq9lbCTK4y3Gh7AAHePQJWxP9Fb6T1ZK8cTDgvD8UFMHIKYIbcGIW-uEwdQNd79kWUtT06BkepHBhLHyreSJpVSj3Wpa-WENoqnxitZnv7YiWAdMYOXPj5PDNFwk84V97m/s1600/IMAG1059.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's official. The sheriff showed up on our front step this afternoon to deliver the bad news. Our home is going to be foreclosed soon. The official date of the sheriff's sale is May 9th, and then we will have 6 months to be out. We knew it was happening, as we haven't been able to pay the mortgage since <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/03/big-layoff.html" target="_blank">Tim lost his job</a>, but it is so much more real now that we have official papers in our hands.<br />
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Tears were shed around here today. Our house is just like any other small starter house in the suburbs, but we love our neighborhood. We live on a wonderful cul-de-sac with over a dozen kids. Our kids are happy to play outside with all their friends any time they are able. Our neighbors are so great, and we will miss them and the true neighborhood feel terribly.<br />
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We worked so hard to buy this house, and it's the only home our children have ever known. We are so upset that this illness has stolen this from us too.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-74511230662613500672014-03-18T21:00:00.000-07:002014-10-07T19:24:19.348-07:00Disability Day on the Hill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQyVavToN71ju-S1DZRf-TlrLudSzfq3XpzS7Cyj18Qg2Vnc2YGFA-ziYH3SvsXPommwKwjHaxlkeLgkMdZvoM34-tCY1tdIf3F09sfviAZJTnsvr3TQtk7S-GCFb9ysm6a3wDmnC_ruR/s1600/IMAG0286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQyVavToN71ju-S1DZRf-TlrLudSzfq3XpzS7Cyj18Qg2Vnc2YGFA-ziYH3SvsXPommwKwjHaxlkeLgkMdZvoM34-tCY1tdIf3F09sfviAZJTnsvr3TQtk7S-GCFb9ysm6a3wDmnC_ruR/s1600/IMAG0286.jpg" height="400" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah decked out in her "Lyme green" to go to the capital.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'm so proud of my daughter! Our local Lyme group took part in Disability Day on the Hill today. People with disabilities went to the capital to meet with their senators and representatives to discuss the difficulties disabled people have, what legislation would be helpful in the everyday lives of the disabled, etc. Tim and I were too sick to go, so our daughter Sarah went with my parents. We set up meetings in advance and she brought a letter Tim and I had written as well as some pictures of our family, and she told the politicians our story. At the age of 8, she represented our family well. <br />
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We are so proud of her for being brave and talking with politicians about our family's struggles.<br />
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Here is another picture of Sarah with one of the politicians she met with:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9azTZMPRV0HVg5RCdilngvz1PyAgv1SWm7CtLj1SZyGb2yfqOPfL9BlCxvqYeZt4idvcdXdMCW-z_JTGdB7vLN_1ECkRzvsdZ7531Yyxw9KMsaYBdMrI03lRSZuCsASUgzYtnmFMsIOxw/s1600/20140318_134440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9azTZMPRV0HVg5RCdilngvz1PyAgv1SWm7CtLj1SZyGb2yfqOPfL9BlCxvqYeZt4idvcdXdMCW-z_JTGdB7vLN_1ECkRzvsdZ7531Yyxw9KMsaYBdMrI03lRSZuCsASUgzYtnmFMsIOxw/s1600/20140318_134440.jpg" height="400" width="197" /></a></div>
<br />Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-55245507327541430632014-01-23T19:00:00.000-08:002017-09-17T22:24:20.555-07:00New doctor for me tooI loved Tim's new doctor the first time I met her, and I have continued to be impressed with her as we've gone in for Tim's follow-up appointments. I am so thankful that I was able to get in with her as well. The appointment yesterday went very well, and I will go back for a follow-up in April.<br />
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When Tim did the food elimination diet last October, I decided to do it with him to see if I could figure anything out. It was both good and bad. It was good in that I was able to figure some things out, but I wasn't very happy with what I figured out. I know now that my body can't handle eggs, peanuts, oats, dairy, and food dyes, in addition to gluten, which I already knew. I've been gluten-free for 3.5 years now. I have also had 2 anaphylactic reactions recently to my homemade beef jerky. I'm not sure what that is about at this point, but I am the proud new owner of an Epi-pen.<br />
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This doctor seemed to know intuitively that I have a bunch of other allergies and recommended that I go see a well-known allergist in the next state over. I called after I left the appointment yesterday and his first available appointment isn't until June! I asked to be added to the cancellation list, so hopefully I can get in sooner than that.<br />
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Overall, I am so glad to have gotten in with this new doctor. I love her treating style, and she is brilliant. She is always going to conferences and reading books, and she is so knowledgeable in the areas of conventional health care, herbs and supplements, and homeopathy. The best of all worlds! And on top of that, she really truly cares about her patients. We love her and are hoping we can stay with her long-term.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-7974084683525843472013-08-20T11:15:00.000-07:002013-08-20T11:15:04.922-07:00Update on Andrew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4GfY0QI52-GeGS2uSWdDHx7hJYtTld_-eAsojjWs8XNgAmez6cbzsbRNbC7YHIDc2or6aL110izO8uC84wvrojdQi4wSEDpeBnx81ECIaIz3DTfdE3KVZhrZYIT5A0i2chkU0_aKsHTP/s1600/Andrew+on+couch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4GfY0QI52-GeGS2uSWdDHx7hJYtTld_-eAsojjWs8XNgAmez6cbzsbRNbC7YHIDc2or6aL110izO8uC84wvrojdQi4wSEDpeBnx81ECIaIz3DTfdE3KVZhrZYIT5A0i2chkU0_aKsHTP/s320/Andrew+on+couch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realized I shared this on my own page but not on here. We had an appointment with Andrew's orthopedic doctor last Tuesday (he<a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/03/andrews-accident.html" target="_blank"> broke his leg</a> a few months ago) and here is the report:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 18px;">"This picture was taken less than 5 months ago when my sweet boy broke both his tibia and his fibula in a sledding accident. We went to his last orthopedic appointment this morning and his doctor was THRILLED with how great his leg looked. </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; line-height: 18px;">Looking at the xray, he said that his leg is "straight perfect" and he wants to print off Andrew's xray to show to other people how a perfectly healed leg looks. He expected it to get back to normal, but he originally thought it could take around 2 years. AMAZING! I am so happy, and in awe of how God created our bodies to heal!"</span></span></i>Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-86332264522822035042013-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:002014-10-12T11:52:06.496-07:00Roller Coaster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70VJ67KfvDQxi5ouq9oJGGFWrfcrzg7rUZ9wKlUZCN_KHBjBW9pRGI1LliWyf2ZHPRAcKSZTTk8_GlV8o4NL-2dbpotJiKhMzCIl6qKlRNiwS9y84T2sU8DjU0_8LG9vs4d0-5RyuGr4l/s1600/IMAG1060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70VJ67KfvDQxi5ouq9oJGGFWrfcrzg7rUZ9wKlUZCN_KHBjBW9pRGI1LliWyf2ZHPRAcKSZTTk8_GlV8o4NL-2dbpotJiKhMzCIl6qKlRNiwS9y84T2sU8DjU0_8LG9vs4d0-5RyuGr4l/s1600/IMAG1060.jpg" height="400" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Lyme is a roller coaster.<br />
<br />
I spent the first 2 years that I had Lyme in pretty good shape. It interfered with my life more than I liked, but it didn't stop my life. And then <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/04/one-year.html" target="_blank">my life stopped</a>. For the past 16 months or so, I've been more or less a hermit, mostly only leaving the house to go to the grocery store (sometimes, when I am able) and the never-ending doctor's appointments. No playdates with friends, no church on Sundays, no homeschool co-ops, and no family gatherings. I'm so thankful that we have had such wonderful family and friends to help us through this time, bringing us groceries and medications, doing our laundry, and helping with our kids.<br />
<br />
In the past month or so, I have started to feel better. Last week I was flying high. After a year and a half of sleeping at least 12 hours out of 24, including a nap almost every single day, I was able to go back to sleeping 8 hours at night and not a single nap all week! I also used to wake up in moderate to severe pain every day, and I woke up with no to mild pain every day last week. I was even able FINALLY to put in some time cleaning up and organizing the basement (yes, it was 7 months ago that it flooded...) and getting some things out to the garage to get ready for our garage sale.<br />
<br />
Friday night I started to get bad. Saturday was worse with a lot of pain and fatigue all day. Then yesterday (Sunday) was the worst day I've had in months. I spent a lot of the weekend in bed and had a ton of pain again. Today is a little better than yesterday but still bad like I used to be. <br />
<br />
As much as Lyme is a roller coaster physically, I think it's even more of a roller coaster mentally. Even though I was used to feeling really crappy for nearly a year and a half, it hurts more this week after having a relatively good week last week. I got a slight taste of "freedom" from the prison of Lyme, and now it's got a hold on me again. I'm hoping this is just a fluke and I will continue on the upward trend I have been on for the past month. I'm so ready to put this all behind me.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-89908954096586325732013-04-30T07:18:00.000-07:002013-04-30T07:18:40.936-07:00Another Lyme StoryHere is a story about a local woman suffering from Lyme. Like most of us, she has lost so much in her life. It's just heartbreaking :-(<br />
<br />
<a href="http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/04/28/accomplished-twin-cities-hairstylist-fighting-lyme-disease/">http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/04/28/accomplished-twin-cities-hairstylist-fighting-lyme-disease/</a>Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-45727160255469942122013-04-13T08:33:00.001-07:002017-09-17T22:26:50.393-07:00One Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENsvgnjCzFQTnn0kAVQODcKmiei8JzqKqdfjrA2QahfbhpGdmCrvvSoDHlCCem70-6a5Rh7JAkUXIMivao3TP0BC2wxl7iwJOZqkiNW2nVYHCmaALmKHoOysRZPi2IcDYbGtxj2UbfOXM/s1600/R-IV+Dec12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENsvgnjCzFQTnn0kAVQODcKmiei8JzqKqdfjrA2QahfbhpGdmCrvvSoDHlCCem70-6a5Rh7JAkUXIMivao3TP0BC2wxl7iwJOZqkiNW2nVYHCmaALmKHoOysRZPi2IcDYbGtxj2UbfOXM/s320/R-IV+Dec12.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Friday April 13, 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After trying to go for 3 years in a row and being unable to attend, I
was thrilled to be able to go to our local homeschool conference for the first
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left the older kids at home with
Tim and drove across the Twin Cities in the rain with 11 month old Jonathan in
the back seat, giddy with excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had been sick the previous week and was feeling weak, but I was optimistic as I
strapped Jonathan on my back in the camping backpack we had borrowed from a
friend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I made it into the conference center and got
registered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hurried into the first
seminar and took a seat in the back, since I was already feeling dizzy and
light headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 5 minutes into it, I
slid out the door, barely strong enough to carry Jonathan and my purse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, and good friend and her husband
were at the conference, though I was not with them at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called my friend on her cell phone and
found out they were sitting at a table in the lower level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took the escalator down, body shaking, praying the whole
time that I wouldn’t pass out with Jonathan on my back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stumbled to where my friends were and asked
them to take Jonathan from me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Immediately I started getting hot and cold, dizzy,
light-headed, confused, and I felt like I had bricks strapped all over my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was having trouble catching my breath and
my heart was pounding wildly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friends
were asking me what was wrong and I had no idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called Tim and just cried into the phone
because I couldn’t tell him what was happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My wonderful friends cared for Jonathan while I laid there across a few
chairs in the basement of the conference center trying to figure out why my
body was failing me and what to do about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a while, I decided that I didn’t think it was necessary to call
911, so my friend’s husband went to find a wheelchair so they could bring me
out to the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was going to drive
Jonathan and me home, but, after the longest and most embarrassing wheelchair
ride of my life, I somehow miraculously pulled it together enough to feel able
to drive home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking back, I should
have accepted the ride home, but I felt guilty for them having missed a big
portion of the conference already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
made it home in one piece and spent the next few days in bed recovering.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It has now been a year since that awful day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up until that point, I had been managing my
Lyme pretty well and living a mostly normal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I was in denial, which in hindsight
was really dumb, considering what I had already watched Tim endure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That episode started a months-long terrifying
downward spiral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the beginning of
seizures; numbness in my arms, legs, and face; panic attacks; muscle twitches; getting lost in familiar places;
inability to regulate body temperature; cognitive disturbances; visual disturbances; halting speech; vertigo;
headaches; crushing fatigue and more along with more similar episodes in the
following months.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Last summer was awful for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hardly ever left my house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had friends taking my kids on outings,
doing our laundry, and bringing meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am forever grateful for our family and friends being so supportive through all
this, but it has still been so hard being unable to care for my own family at
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As summer turned into fall and my
symptoms continued to worsen, we decided something different needed to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were planning a trip for Tim to see a highly respected Lyme
specialist in New York (because, in spite of all I’ve been through, he is still
more sick and a more complicated case than I am) but it turned out that we
needed to cancel that trip because we were both too sick to travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, on November 30, 2012, our son Andrew’s 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
birthday and the day we were supposed to leave for our trip to New York, I was
in our local hospital having a PICC line inserted. It was a rough day with some scary complications, but I was so thankful to have my mom by my side, as Tim was too sick to accompany me to the hospital.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am now nearly 5 months into my IV treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started out with both Rocephin and
Zithromax for the first 3 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first month was absolutely horrendous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t leave the house at all and could barely get out of bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the worst pain and the worst cognitive
function I have ever experienced. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second month was a little better and I was able to leave the house
occasionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was still having the
groceries delivered and friends were still bringing meals, but I was able to be out of bed most of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the third month I was back to a minimal
amount of functioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still stuck to
within a few miles of my house since I didn’t feel comfortable driving long
distances, but I was able to run to the store to grab a few things when needed.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At the end of 3 months we made the difficult decision for me
to go off the Zithromax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tim had just
gotten his PICC and we weren’t able to afford both of my medications along with
his medications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was around this time
that Tim had his<a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/03/big-fat-disaster.html" target="_blank"> hospital episode</a> and <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/03/andrews-accident.html" target="_blank">Andrew broke his leg</a> the following day, and we were also fairly certain by this time that Tim was going to<a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/03/big-layoff.html" target="_blank"> lose his job</a>,
so stress was high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also went from
trying to allow my body to rest and heal with fairly minimal physical exhertion
to carrying around a 40 pound kid many times a day in the blink of an eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to this lugging his wheel chair in and
out of the van taking him to several doctors appointments and ER visits over
the course of a few days, and my body was really revolting.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I was so thankful to have made it through that chaotic week, but my
health again took a turn for the worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think it was a combination of stopping one of my main medications,
stress, and sudden and repeated physical exertion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have now ordered the Zithromax again and
will be re-starting it in the next couple days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Between that and Andrew now having a partial leg cast (instead of the
full leg cast he had originally) that allows him to be able to crawl around the
house sometimes instead of being carried, I am really praying that I can get back
the progress I saw and continue to make more progress. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My goal in writing this blog as a whole is to give
people on the outside a glimpse of our real life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>his is our life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to get the word
out about Lyme and how it affects people and families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is my hope that by hearing stories like
ours and others, people will be able to 1.) be proactive in protecting their
loved ones from this horrendous disease, and 2.) have an understanding of Lyme
and be able to use that understanding to be more compassionate towards families
dealing with Lyme and other difficult diagnoses.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So there you have it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is the story of the last year of my life in relation to Lyme
Disease.</span></div>
Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-50782130622024644812013-03-28T17:14:00.002-07:002017-09-17T22:37:16.514-07:00Big LayoffAfter waiting on pins and needles for many weeks, we finally found out officially this week that Tim has been laid off from his job. We are so blessed that his employer has been so gracious in dealing with his illness these last 4+ years. Most recently, his boss had been allowing him to work from home 100% of the time since he was too sick to go into the office. He even made accommodations for Tim to join meetings via conference call. It was really a perfect situation for us, and we were so thankful for it while it lasted.<br />
<br />
As of right now, Tim is too sick to look for a new job. That means that he also will not qualify for unemployment, since a main requirement for receiving unemployment is the ability to be actively looking for work, going to interviews, etc. We are looking into starting the process for disability, but we know that can be a very long process so it probably won't be a feasible option to get us through this time.<br />
<br />
The one thing we weren't expecting when we got the news about his lay off was that we will be able to keep our same health insurance for several more months. That is a huge blessing for us with all the health issues we have currently in our family, including <a href="http://ourlyme.blogspot.com/2013/03/andrews-accident.html" target="_blank">Andrew's broken leg</a> on top of the 3 of us having Lyme. At least this extra time we weren't expecting will get both Tim and myself several more months into our PICC treatment, and hopefully we'll be done dealing with Andrew's leg. As an aside, Andrew is our sweet 5 year old with congenital Lyme. He is currently doing well despite his broken leg, and we are so thankful for that.<br />
<br />
We will keep all of you posted as we know more. If you would, please keep us in your prayers as we navigate this new path we're on.Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-20545970111297473412013-03-22T09:50:00.002-07:002017-09-17T22:35:59.654-07:00Andrew's Accident<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdioAirM12ab4UH4TakY54YYysZDLy56oD93vilK6mh4o6qEilf61GSlUZ0Uf0HZaogAS2oihg0xayXOrnyqWiVTNYkPV0jEvgITSBK-EfwgqwSsUkNqsg3A7Rn7kQQxv-2R31wapaDa2/s1600/A+on+couch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdioAirM12ab4UH4TakY54YYysZDLy56oD93vilK6mh4o6qEilf61GSlUZ0Uf0HZaogAS2oihg0xayXOrnyqWiVTNYkPV0jEvgITSBK-EfwgqwSsUkNqsg3A7Rn7kQQxv-2R31wapaDa2/s320/A+on+couch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The following is something I posted on my personal Facebook page yesterday regarding our 5 year old son Andrew. He is coincidentally our child who has been struggling with Lyme for the past 3 years as well, so we are so sad that he is now dealing with this newest health crisis. <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; float: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px / 18px "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Update on Andrew: He was out sledding in the neighbor's yard yesterday afternoon with Sarah and the other kids in the neighborhood. At about 4:45 I was in the house making dinner and Sarah and their friend pulled Andrew home on a sled because he couldn't walk. Apparently he was sledding down the 'safe' hill and his sled somehow veered into the woods. He couldn't stop it, and he hit a fallen tr</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px / 18px "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">ee. I carried him in and laid him on my bed and saw that his ankle had strange-looking swelling. We put ice on it and called the pediatrician's office.<br /><br />We ate dinner and called my wonderful father in law to come over and stay with Tim and the other kids. Andrew rested and ate dinner and slept off and on, and we got to the ER around 7:30. They got him right into X-ray, but then it took a while to get the results back. The ER doctor and the orthopedic on call said that both the tibia and fibula are broken. They put him in a temporary full-leg cast for now, and we are going to the orthopedic tomorrow to figure out what's next. As of right now, it looks like he is looking at 4-6 weeks in the full-leg cast, and then another 4-6 weeks in a walking cast.<br /><br />Please pray for his healing, and also his emotional well-being. He is not in a good place right now. He is having a hard time processing everything and is also in a lot of pain. Also, please pray for the rest of us as we walk through this with him. Tim is still in bad shape, and there are some other major changes coming our way in the next few days unrelated to our health issues. And for me...since Andrew can't walk for the foreseeable future, he needs to be carried everywhere. With My PICC, I'm technically not supposed to lift more than 10 lbs, but that was pretty unreasonable from the start. What mom of little kids can go without lifting for several months, right??? Because of that though, we're trying to see if we can somehow get a wheelchair for him to use when we have to go out for appointments. We are planning to try to get him into PT eventually to see if they can teach him how to use crutches, but he's not up for that right now.<br /><br />Thank you all so much for all the love and support you've shown us as we walk through this difficult season in our lives. We appreciate it so much! ♥</span>Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4404096655106335104.post-6209040994921282882013-02-08T18:01:00.001-08:002014-10-13T11:18:41.289-07:00Hotel Living<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NgzG_8z5WiTGPgcnkiYPvZ6q6xF9_Ko2IL5v0gD7xXNEPtpCt425WSMOi16640wYHv8CbpKZDGa0m1_bKmsL9U_LZV0y4uhFb3_HuAfZNbbXQ9HA_MPtUqgQlXf1aJuuLpwzLjXa1nOl/s1600/kids020713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NgzG_8z5WiTGPgcnkiYPvZ6q6xF9_Ko2IL5v0gD7xXNEPtpCt425WSMOi16640wYHv8CbpKZDGa0m1_bKmsL9U_LZV0y4uhFb3_HuAfZNbbXQ9HA_MPtUqgQlXf1aJuuLpwzLjXa1nOl/s320/kids020713.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_5115ad448ff176019863564">
<span class="userContent">A sweet friend asked how we're doing, so I thought I'd share a quick update with anyone else who might be wondering :-)<br /> <br /> Almost a week in the hotel so far. House is coming along. They found a bunch of mold in our house, which we weren't surprised about. We have to have that remediated before we can move back into our house, which is totally separate from the insurance claim. That adds a big heada<span class="text_exposed_show">che, but it seems that that could be the cause of Tim not getting better. He's pretty much worse than he was 3 years ago, and that makes sense if the mold has been growing for a while. It's a huge and complicated process, but our parents are helping us navigate it all. We're hopeful that taking care of that should help a lot. We had our dr appt yesterday. We had to do a conference call instead of going in because Tim was too sick to go, but it went pretty well over all. We got a lot of info, and it was a huge deal for us to find out that our Lyme dr is somewhat of an expert in the correlation of Lyme and mold toxins. That is really Providential. He is able to help us heal our bodies and give us advice about rehabbing our house. Regarding Lyme treatment, he said he likes to see people on a PICC for a minimum of 9 months if possible, and I'm 2 months in. Tim will likely need a PICC in the next month or 2 also, so that should be an adventure. There is a lot on our plates right now, but at least we feel like we have some direction and maybe even some hope.</span></span></div>
Our Lyme Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10088610019487990919noreply@blogger.com1